1996 NAIA Division I football season

1996 NAIA Division I football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1996
PostseasonNovember 23–December 7, 1996
National ChampionshipMilam Stadium
Weatherford, OK
ChampionsSouthwestern Oklahoma State

The 1996 NAIA Division I football season was the NAIA, was the 27th (and final) season of play of the NAIA's top division for football. The NAIA reverted to a single division for its football championship in 1997.

The regular season was played from August to November 1996. The 1996 NAIA Division I Football Championship Series then concluded with the 1996 NAIA Champion Bowl, played that year on December 7, 1996 at Milam Stadium in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Southwestern Oklahoma State defeated Montana Tech in the Champion Bowl, 33–31, to win their first NAIA national title.

Conference standings

1996 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Montana Tech $^ 4–2  7–5 
No. 4 Carroll (MT) ^ 3–3  6–4 
Rocky Mountain 3–3  6–4 
Western Montana 2–4  3–6 
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1996 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 SW Oklahoma State +^ 4–1  9–3 
No. 3 NW Oklahoma State +^ 4–1  8–3 
Langston 3–2  6–4 
No. 5 SE Oklahoma State 3–2  6–4 
East Central 1–4  3–7 
Panhandle State 0–5  0–10 
Northeastern State * 0–0  3–8 
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
    * – ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1996 NAIA Division I independents football records
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Harding –  6–4 
Central State (OH) –  4–4 
Arkansas–Pine Bluff –  5–5 
Ouachita Baptist –  3–7 

Conference champions

Conference Champion Record
Frontier Montana Tech 4–2

Rankings

Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:

Rank Team (first place votes) Record (thru Nov. 17) Points
1 Southwestern Oklahoma State (2) 7–3 10
2 Montana Tech 6–4 8
3 Northwestern Oklahoma State 8–2 6
4 Carroll (MT) 6–3 4
5 SE Oklahoma State 6–4 2

Postseason

1996 NAIA Division I Football Championship
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Montana Tech 10 7 7 7 31
Southwestern Oklahoma State 0 23 7 3 33
StadiumMilam Stadium
CityWeatherford, Oklahoma
MOP (Offense)Keith Kizzie, Southwestern Oklahoma State
MOP (Defense)Mark Patterson, Southwestern Oklahoma State
Attendance4,500
NAIA Football National Championship

< 1995

1997 >

Bracket

Semifinals
November 23 		Championship Game
December 7
      
Carroll (MT) 28
Montana Tech 49
Montana Tech 31
SW Oklahoma State 33
NW Oklahoma State 7
SW Oklahoma State 17

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NAIA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ "1996 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ "NAIA Division I poll". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. Associated Press. November 18, 1996. p. 3B. Retrieved May 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.